Creep
by ThelittleFox2015
Summary: All Hal ever wanted was to get the girl of his dreams. Was that really asking for too much?
1. Chapter 1

Creep

Author's note: I've been watching too many thrillers and I.D. Channel shows lately, and after watching Megamind the other day I couldn't get over how thoroughly creepy poor Hal is. Some of the things to come are from personal experience, stories I've heard from other people and good old Cold Case Files.

I own nothing!

/

All Hal ever wanted was to get the girl of his dreams. Was that really asking for too much? He was one of the coolest guys he knew. His score on Dead vs Dead was, like, one of the highest scores of all time. Hal would even bet that Megadouche couldn't beat him at video games. He had some serious gaming skills. Another quality? He was super funny. He knew how to make Roxanne smile like no one else. She always made a sideways smile with those cute lips at him after saying, "Um, that's nice, Hal." It was his best feature. Best of all, he always knew just what to say to force her to smile like that at him.

Spinning in his chair, watching the little bunnies and rainbows whirl around him, Hal thought long and hard about his Roxanne. He wanted her more than he wanted anything. Even after she ripped his heart out, tore it up into tiny pieces, then dumped them into the trash can, he still longed for her. If he had obsessed over her before, like his prison appointed therapist said he had, then this was some kind of all consuming neurotic explosion! Day and night he dreamed of what he would do when he saw her again in person. He _would_ see her again, this he knew. It was only a matter of time.

The only thoughts between eat, Roxanne, sleep, Roxanne Ritchi, bathroom, and Roxanne Stewart blurred into a much hated, blue, alien freak that Hal swore he would get revenge on. Megamind played him! Made a fool of him! He turned Roxanne away from him with his sick love potion spray. Now, the ex-villain had never claimed to have made a love potion spray, but how else did he brainwash his beloved news anchor into falling for him? She was just confused. She didn't know what she wanted. What she wanted was him, Tighten. He just needed to find a way to show her.

A knock on the small glass panel of his cell door broke his train of thought. Two guards entered and began the process of removing him from his room.

"What's going on? Do I get an extra hour of outside time or something?" Hal asked.

"There's a reporter that wants to ask you some questions," the Warden stated, eyeballing the young man with some disdain. "I wouldn't get any ideas now, Hal. You're going to be secured to a chair. There's no escape."

"Tighten. I'm still Tighten you super old guy," Hal sneered. _I'll prove it to you soon. Just wait._

After the slow shuffle to a highly secured visiting room he deflated just a little bit. He knew Roxanne wouldn't come, even after all the letters he sent the station requesting an interview with her. He told his old boss that he would even do an exclusive interview, but Roxanne _had_ to be the reporter. The only reply was a copy of the restraining order he was issued by her lawyer. Oh, well. At least someone was ready to listen to his side of the story.

"Mr. Stewart, I'm Harper Harpston for Tattler Today. I was wondering if you would like to share your experience with us?" the tall, slender man prattled. Making a sad little pout, the reporter leaned in against the metal table separating the two men. "I sat in the court room during your trial and I was appalled that no one really listened to you about Megamind, about how he coerced you and used you. Let's share your heart breaking story. What do you say?" He offered a hopeful smile. Hal Stewart had refused most media sources of any interview, but he had a good feeling that maybe now he would accept.

"I've already told KMCP that they could have the exclusive interview. They're getting back to me." Hal rolled his eyes. People seriously didn't know how to listen.

"Right, right," Harper drawled, tapping his fingers on the table. "It's just that Ms. Ritchi probably won't have that kind of time to give you for an in depth interview."

"What are you talking about? Roxanne didn't make time for me before, but we shared an incredible experience together so she's just getting ready for me. You don't know her like I do. She puts, like, so much effort into her work. She's probably trying to put together the perfect questions or something," Hal explained, becoming agitated.

"Well, the thing is, she and Megamind just announced their engagement." Hal shifted in his seat. "Here, I have it on my phone. Let me show you. That Megamind, he certainly is over the top," he chuckled. Raising his cell phone up, a video of an earlier news report began playing.

Metro City's new hero had not lost his taste for drama or laser light shows. High in the sky, black smoke took the shape of a heart and in the center it read : Roxanne Ritchi is MINE!* And then below that, "* She said yes!" Brainbots flew like doves and lasers made an outline of Roxanne and Megamind kissing, repeating the cycle as soon as their laser lips met.

Harper watched Hal closely. The young man gripped the metal arm rests of his chair, knuckles straining and white. His face contorted into an expression that was simultaneously desperate and ferocious. He could swear that in the center of his irises there was a small speck of red. _Must be a reflection or something_ , he mused.

"Harper Harpston? I'm ready to do that interview now," Hal growled out.

The reporter leaned back into his chair and placed a recorder onto the table. "Well, then. Let's get started, shall we?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Author's note: I'm keeping the rating T for now, but it's definitely going to be raised to M. I'm pretty sure it will. Yes. It will.

I own nothing!

/

"You just had to use the lasers?" Roxanne Ritchi quipped, one hand on her hip, staring up at a darkening sky. A smirk graced her lovely face. Her now fiance had a penchant for grand gestures. After the initial shyness that lasted three hours tops, Megamind proved to be an exuberant lover. Ten years of pent up attraction and weekly kidnappings, not to mention the fiasco now affectionately referred to as The Bernard Incident, pushed their relationship into overdrive. It had been one year and a day after the opening of Megamind Museum when he proposed.

Coming up from behind, Megamind wrapped his slim arms around her tiny waist, enjoying the feeling of her back pressed against his body. "Of course! You had me and everyone else convinced that you and Music Man, formerly known as Metro Man, we an item. What if other super villains thought that we weren't serious, or something, and that they had a chance? Now there's no doubt. First Metrocity, next the world!" He stifled an evil laugh just at the tail end.

"First of all, you don't have to say 'formerly known as Metro Man' every time we talk about Wayne. Secondly, no one but you, Wayne and myself knew that he and I weren't really and item. And lastly, what other super villains? I think that the whole kidnapping thing was just you," Roxanne snickered.

"Oh,ho,ho! Well that shows how much you really know about being a super villain, newsie." Megamind stepped back and raised his cape below his eyes, striking a sinister pose. " A true villain exploits his nemesis' weakness. Biding his time. Waiting to strike." He raised an eyebrow, then lowered his gaze to her feet and slowly slid it up her body until their eyes met meaningfully. Roxanne flushed, then started.

"You are ridiculous!" She tried to sound annoyed, but couldn't keep the smile from her voice. "But I suppose you were once the Master of All Villainy, even though you weren't quite evil. I'll just have to take your word for it. Really, though, what do I have to worry about when I have the hero of Metro City as my fiance?"

Megamind's jaw dropped. He narrowed his eyes and raised a long finger. "I'll have you know, Ms. Ritchi, that I was the most e-vil, most cunning, most amazingly wicked villain Metrocity had ever seen. I was soooo e-vil!" he added for good measure.

Roxanne laughed out right at that. "You weren't evil, not ever! Deviant, yes. A nuisance and public menace, absolutely. I mean, I might be able to call you a scoundrel at worst, but not evil. Unless you count the baby seal leather boots. That was evil."

"Well, about that," he tugged at his high collar, "those were actually baby seal leather, but they came from baby seals that died from natural causes. Minion's idea. The things you can find in Romania," he sighed.

They stared up at the sky for a moment longer, holding onto each other in a half embrace. God, how he loved this woman. Sometimes it really did feel like a dream, and he worried that if he held her too close or too tightly she would disappear. He still woke some nights with a ache in his chest and shout on his lips after a nightmare of her being smashed by a bus and he being unable to stop it. Those nights and memories made the small moments all the more precious to him.

"Come, Ms. Ritchi!" he exclaimed suddenly, pulling on her hand. "Minion made cakes for us to try for the wedding. Yay!" He fist pumped and scrambled inside The Lair. Roxanne laughed gleefully as she was practically hauled through the slightly Secret Entrance.

Minion, misty eyed, had to clear his throat several times before he could offer a satisfactory congratulations to the happy couple.

"I'm sorry, I'm just so choked up. Code: I'm so happy for you, Sir. You got the girl." Minion smiled at his long time friend and master. "Okay!" he clapped his robotic hands, "Down to business. I made several different flavors to try today, but we still have to pick out the style and colors to decorate the cake. I was really thinking a blush and perhaps a pastel blue? Ms. Ritchi what do you think? I'll get some samples together, and oh! What about your dress? Well, of course I have a few design ideas, but um, Ms. Ritchi? Ms Ritchi?"

Roxanne was not paying attention to Minion. Her entire focus was on the wall of monitors at the end of the Lair. Walking slowly towards the image on screen she clasped her arms around her torso, seemingly unaware of the need to be comforted. A gigantic image of Tighten showed on the screen with a barely audible male voice narrating in the background. She felt like she could not breath.

Megamind stopped lecturing Minion on the importance of lasers during the wedding ceremony _and_ reception long enough to notice his friend pointing in the direction of the monitors. He quickly made his way towards Roxanne who seemed completely frozen in place. Pulling up his once ee-vil chair, he helped her to sit down, his eyes never leaving her face.

"Roxanne," he whispered, " are you alright?"

"Yes," she stated flatly. "I guess I was just a little shocked. Even though it's been over a year, it still bothers me thinking about that day. It bothers me seeing him," she indicated with her chin at the screen.

Megamind nodded. Scowling as he turned up the volume his own thoughts took a dark turn.

He despised Hal Stewart. With everything in his lithe body he hated him. Most of all he hated himself for creating a monster, because if anyone was to blamed for that day it we he. His selfish desire to relive the glory days with Metro Man almost killed his best friend and the love of his life. Every time Tighten, eye roll, was brought up it made him cringe. But, his biggest failure became his greatest victory and awarded him all the things that he had only dreamed of. _"There's no looking back, no more regrets,"_ he thought. He turned his attention from his musing and onto the screen where Hal Stewart sat in an orange jump suit facing a brown haired reporter.

Harper Harpston wasted no time securing a live televised interview on the same day Hal agreed to speak to him. Evidently, Tattler Today made some arrangements with Channel 5 News to get the televised interview, and some strings were pulled. Harper would get credit for the questions being asked and answered, and the station would get the ratings.

"...and you say that you and Roxanne were secretly dating? Weren't you afraid of Metro Man? You have to admit that's a little hard to believe."

" Roxanne and I have a special bond. We knew that Metro Man would flip, and Roxie, that's what I call her, Roxaroo didn't want to hurt him." Hal blinked several times and fidgeted in his chair. Then he added slyly," It was a secret. She liked kinky things like that."

"Oh, really?" _It's about time_ , the reporter thought. "Tell me, what other kinds of personal details do you have the could help us understand your relationship with Ms. Roxanne Ritchi?"

Hal grinned like a cat with a freshly killed mouse in its mouth, salivating and eager. "Well, I can tell you she likes to tease. She puts her hand on your shoulder and then takes it off quickly like she didn't mean to do it. Sometimes, after she was kidnapped, she would complain about being tired or not having time to do laundry and would wear a black bra under a white shirt."

He went on and on. At first it was little details about her appearance or mannerism, and then it turned into something else. Hal began describing her apartment, especially her bedroom, in minute detail. The color of her sheets, her silk robe, even what type of panties she wore. He knew that she liked vanilla scented bodywash and took a bubble bath every Thursday evening. He was able to outline her everyday habits, her favorite places to eat and shop, and what time she went to bed. Hal spoke about her like a lover, soft and knowing. The sheer amount of personal knowledge was staggering and extremely discomforting. Roxanne began to tremble.

"I feel sick," she sputtered and ran to the bathroom.

Megamind, his back rigid, clenched his fists, his body shaking. The seething rage he felt was like no other. Nothing compared to the fire rushing through him. Hal Stewart had no idea what was in store for him. He was going to pay and pay dearly.

"Thank you, Mr. Stewart," the reporter began, " that was extremely insightful. Is there.."

"It's Tighten," Hal interrupted.

"I'm sorry, Tighten. Is there anything else you wanted to let the public know?"

"Yeah, I want to let Roxanne know that I've had a lot of time to think, and that I forgive her. I know that Megamind poisoned her mind against me, but I know how to save her now."

"Really? Well thank you ag-," the reporter was cut off a second time.

" Megamind, Metro Man lost her to a villain. What makes you think that she won't leave you for one?" Hal smirked into the camera.

A blue lip raised itself over a pointed canine tooth. "Oh, Tighten," he snarled, "bring it on!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Author's note: Many thanks to my first reviewesr! And many thanks to everyone who has read this story so far.

/

 _Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhaaaaaale._ Straightening her form fitting jacket Roxanne nodded at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. So she got a little shaken up when she heard all the personal things that Hal knew about her, so what? He was a creep, but she was Roxanne Ritchi, a reporting journalist badass and one tough cookie to boot! _I've definitely picked up a few things from Megamind,_ she thought. She shook her head and made her way back to the lair's common area where, from the sound of things, all hell was breaking loose.

Brainbots assembled by the hundreds carrying various objects as their Daddy shouted his orders. "You there," singling one bot out, "fetch my most intimidating cape! And you," pointing to another, " prepare my most terrifying playlist! The villain Hal Shtuart, formerly known as Tighten, will rue the day he threatened Megamind and his beloved." With a dramatic toss of his cape he bolted toward the Hudson.

"Minion," he threw over his shoulder, "ready the Death Ray!"

"Hold it, hold it!" Roxanne shouted above the flurry of activity. "What are doing?!"

Megamind whipped his body around and raised his fist in the air, chest heaving. "I am going to use the full force of the sun to obl-ee-torate that baffoon!" He had a manic glint to his emerald eyes.

Roxanne put her hand on his cheek and spoke softly. "I know that you're angry. Shhh, let me finish." She placed a finger over his lips as he tried to interrupt her. "Disgust and humiliation are not strong enough words to describe how I feel right now, but I am okay. We are okay. You are the hero now."

"But!"

"No. You can't let people like Hal get to you this way. He is nothing more than a depraved sociopath locked in prison. He has no power and this is him acting out, trying to get even." She put both arms around his shoulders.

Megamind tensed and the then let his arms envelope her, bringing them closer together. Sighing he ran his gloved hand threw her hair. "You're right," he let out, "I'm... less right." He closed his eyes nuzzling her cheek, willing himself to calm down. Slowly he opened his eyes and stared off into the distance. "Still," he murmured, "how did he know what your bedroom looked like if you had never invited him inside?"

"I want to know how he knew every piece of lingerie I own. It's like he made a catalog! God, I should have known something was up. You know, every few months or so a pair of panties would go missing. And I kept making excuses, like-" she stopped mid rant when she realized Megamind's jaw tensed so tightly she thought he would break a tooth.

"He must have been sneaking inside while you were being kidnapped, Ma'am," Minion chimed in. "It was certainly easy enough to come in through the balcony." The first item on Megamind's heroic list was adding security measures to Roxanne's apartment starting with the french doors.

"Maybe the balcony or he could have just asked Carlos to let him up," she explained. " Carlos knew that we worked together. He could have made up any excuse to go inside. I kept a spare key under the welcome mat since my purse was destroyed or missing after some of those kidnappings." Roxanne sent a moody glare at the blue hero standing in front of her. His smirk faded when he realized that his previous schemes may have allowed Hal access into her personal space.

Minion excused himself to put the brain bots and equipment back in order. Roxanne tugged on Megamind's hand and led him towards their bedroom. She had not moved all of her things to the Lair just yet. Her apartment was closer to her work place, and sometimes it just made sense for her to go there after a long day of reporting. She wasn't entirely sure she was ready to give it up, but the when the time was right she would know.

Sitting on the edge of the bed Roxanne patted the spot next to her invitingly. Megamind slumped down.

"I'm sorry, Roxanne. I didn't know he was pilfering. I didn't even know who he was before I gave him Metro Mahn's powers."

"The idea of him pawing through my underwear just gives me the chills," she shuddered. When he didn't respond she looked up expecting to see him fuming again, but all she saw were violet cheeks and ears, and his long fingers drumming over crossed forearms. "Oh. My. God. You did not go through bras and panties?!"

"A good villain must know _everything_ about his victims. Aaand, I have to say my curiosity was peek-ed." He waggled his eyebrows and sent her a smoldering gaze. "I'm afraid I kept my own mental catalog, my dear. You were always the lady, but I did get a tempting glance every so often."

"I never pegged you for a pervert," came her cynical reply.

" I stumbled upon that particular drawer accidentally, I swear!" he defended emphatically, but then added, "I may be devilishly handsome, blue, and from another planet, but I am all male, Ms. Ritchi. You don't know how many times your skirt would rise and I would get a peek of a little bit of layth." He practically drooled at the memory: Roxanne bound and dangling above him, him looking up, and seeing a small swath of blue lace between her thighs. Roxanne sitting on his favorite kidnapping chair, her skirt lifting just high enough to expose the bit of skin between a black, thigh-high stocking and gray wool skirt. She had no idea at the time, and it was beneath him to use it against her, so he filed it away for later when he was very much alone.

"Hmm, a tempting glance, huh?" Roxanne smirked. She lowered herself on the bed and pulled his lean body down with her. "Tell you what. I'll let you take more than a peek this time, and then we'll go eat cake for dinner. What do you say?" A slim index finger ran from his bottom lip down his goatee coaxing his surrender.

"Temptress," he whispered, eyes playful and bright. Leaning down to kiss her fully, he temporarily pushed aside all thoughts about a certain incarcerated foe and re-vahnge.

/

A seething Hal stood in front of the wall of his cell, seemingly staring at nothing. Thw _ack! Thwack! Thwack!_ Over and over he smashed his forehead into the reinforced concrete. Every once in a while the guard overseeing the cell monitors would contemplate ordering him to stop, but would change his mind at the last second. If Metro City's worst nightmare wanted to hurt himself who was he to tell him to stop. _Must be feeling guilty_ , the guard reasoned. He would still add it to the inmate log when his shift ended.

Thwack! _How could she do this to me?_ Thwack! _She loves me! She loves me! SHE LOVES ME!_ Thwack!

He pressed his sweaty cheek into the wall, panting. He knew it wasn't all Roxanne's fault, though she still needed to be punished for making him look like an idiot. No, majority of the blame went to Megamind. And he would definitely make him pay.

 _It's only a matter of time_ , he giggled to himself. He could feel the flab of his biceps flex into a large muscle and then relax again into a fatty mass. Oh, he was still Tighten all right. He just need just needed a little help bringing him out. And, after years of filming Roxanne reporting on the city's underground, he knew just the criminal that could help him. Psycho Delic.

"Roxieeeee," he sung. "I'm coming for you! I'm coming for you, my pretty Roxaroo." He couldn't wait!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Author's note: Thanks to everyone that's been reading so far. I did a little editing on Ch.2, but nothing major. If I don't post the chapter as soon as I've written it then it won't be posted at all, even if I don't really like how it has turned out. This chapter is longish and there is some sexual stuff at the end so ye be warned. Thanks again and enjoy!

/

Two weeks after his interview Hal found himself sitting in the prison's main common room. For the first time in over a year he wasn't alone. His court appointed therapist, Dr. Julia Thompson, had gone directly to the Warden after reviewing Hal's prisoner file and finding that he had been causing himself personal injury. She demanded that he be allowed to have one hour, every day, to interact with other inmates, claiming that it would help ease the trauma of both extended solitary confinement and the "betrayal" of Roxanne's engagement.

Hal didn't care what the idiot doctor thought about him. What had she called him? Delusional and suffering from erotomania? Something about being a Love Obsession Stalker? He started tuning her out as soon as she brought up the little tidbit that since he and Roxanne had never actually been a couple, she could not have betrayed him.

 _Obviously, she's a dumb ass, because Roxy and I have been dating for years, so yeah, of course she betrayed me, but that's like what old married couples do. I just need to win back her affection or whatever._

He scanned the room, one knee bouncing erratically. It was time to put his plan in motion. Finally, he made eye contact with just the inmate he wanted to talk to. The man jerked his chin quickly and motioned for Hal to meet him at the table situated in the center of the room.

"Oh, you're ready?" he practically shouted. "Whoops! I mean..." and he lifted his chin trying to mimic the other man. He sauntered over to the table and sat down heavily, making a loud _plop_! Leaning in with on hand on his hip and the other making a freckled fist on the table, he assumed his most scheming pose. _This is so cool!_

"So, word is you might wanna talk to someone on the outside, that it?" the prisoner asked.

"Um, you already know I want to talk to Psycho Delic. I wrote it on that piece of toilet paper and put it into your-"

"Shut up!" he cried in a harsh whisper, raising his hands. His eyes frantically surveyed the guards. Once he was certain that they hadn't heard the flabby imbecile sitting in front of him, he let out a sigh of relief. _Time to lay down some ground rules_ , he thought.

"Listen, we don't name names, we don't say how information gets passed along, and we keep ourselves relatively quiet." Looking the red headed man in the eye he continued, " Just pretend that we're having a nice conversation about our mothers and tofu, and these assholes will be none the wiser about what we are really doing, you got me?" He raised his brows meaningfully, hoping the young man understood.

"Yeah, yeah. Tofu. I totally get," Hal smiled back. "This is so cool! It reminds me of this movie I saw where this guy cuts this other guy's arm off and kept it as a trophy, and then he wanted to get back at him, so he planned something with another guy, but it was like so crazy." Hal's smile threatened to split his face in half.

"That's great," the fellow prisoner deadpanned. "Let's just get to it. I can set you up with a phone call from the Big P. Anything else you need?"

"Big P? Why the 'P'? Why not 'S', I mean that's the first letter. Oh, oh, oh, wait. I get it. It's because he's got a lot going on downstairs. Oh, man that's a great name. I have a lot going on downstairs too, and by downstairs I mean my-"

"I get it!" The exasperated inmate cradled his head in his palm. "I will ask one more time. Is there anything else that you need?" Deep inside he was praying that this ridiculous meeting would be over pronto, but he knew he wouldn't be so lucky. Why, they didn't call him Unlucky Joe for nothing!

"There is something." Hal leaned in closer, making Joe feel increasingly uncomfortable. "My girlfriend has been acting a little naughty," he smirked at his own clever word choice. "I want her to remember how she's supposed to act when we're a couple. She thinks that she can just hook up with any guy that impresses her and then throw it in everyone's face." His voice began to raise as he worked himself into a raging fury. "She's acting like a two timing whore! And the entire city knows it! She keeps putting it all on display. I want her to be reminded that she's a lady, my lady. If she's going to act like a cheap slut with her sexy clothes and making googly-eyes at that blue twerp then I want the entire city to see it! " He slammed his fist into the metal table, bending it in half.

Unlucky Joe sat very still, eyes wide at what he just witnessed. Seeing the guards rush towards the rabid prisoner he decided that they better wrap things up quickly. Watching the fat, nerdy man suddenly find the strength to do something only Metro Man could do helped him act fast. He, as well as all of the other inmates, knew what had transpired during Tighten's several hour reign over the city, and he did not want that force directed at him.

"Okay," he said, " I think I know what you're wanting. I'll keep in touch." As the security team surrounded Hal, bound him, and dragged him back to his cell, Joe made sure to cover his tracks.

"Tofu." he tossed out to the officer cuffing his hands behind his back. "His mother is sharing her tofu with everyone in the city and he's hurt over it." The officer rolled his eyes and lined him up with the rest of the prisoners being escorted back to their cells.

Joe knew that he could deliver everything that Hal wanted and he also knew that he had better do it fast. A chill rippled down his spine at the thought of facing Tighten's anger. _Where the hell is that kid hiding it?_ As he shuffled back to his room he realized that he didn't really want to know.

/

Roxanne sat at her desk typing up her latest story as fast as her poor fingers could manage. As soon as she had the report wrapped up, _and gave it to a child on Christmas, ugh!_ ,she could get out of the office and into the arms of her most beloved blue hero. And, since Minion had become slightly obsessed with the perfect wedding feast, they would be enjoying another extravagant meal this week. It was starting to show too. Her standard skirt/blouse combo was becoming noticeably snug around her bust and bottom areas. She glared at her chest and gave a long suffering sigh, shoulders drooping.

"At least I got it where it counts," she mumbled to herself. Then, peeking around her cubicle to make sure that no one was watching, Roxanne Ritchi shoulder shimmied. "Hey, they look pretty good!" she murmured quietly. She had always felt a little lacking in the in the bosom department, not that hers were too small, but she secretly hoped they would grow in a little more as her bottom half grew out. Her inner fourteen-year-old was happily jumping up and down at her slight development so she did not notice her boss stop by her desk. Hearing a loud, forced cough knock her our of her self ogling. She sat board straight and gave her boss a small smile.

"Just check for a wardrobe malfunction," she chuckled and cleared her throat.

"Roxanne, I need have a word with you in my office. Now." Dan stood out of the way as she rose from her desk and walked down the hall towards the back of the building. Sensing that something was seriously wrong from her usually good natured boss Roxanne's mind raced with possible scenarios that could have put him in such a mood. By the time they made it to his office she already had several formed hypotheses, but the stern look on his faced kept her from voicing any of them. Sitting down at his desk, he nodded to the chair across from him.

"I think that you should have a seat before I show you this, Roxanne."

"Dan, what is going on? Is it about the piece I did on the Doom Syndicate last month? I promised that I would be careful and I have been, but you know how those guys get. You know you can't take their threats seriously. I mean-" Roxanne's tirade was cut short by Dan's raised hand.

"Roxanne, this isn't about the Doom Syndicate. Look, what I am about to show you is disturbing and I am having a hard time even looking at you right now." Dan lowered his eyes and swiveled his laptop around to face her.

"Wha-?" she started but all voice left her when she saw what was on the screen.

At first the images were too dark to make out, but slowly three distinct forms became clear. Two were obviously masculine and the other a curvy, hourglass shaped female. The trio began removing each others' clothes and soon the men were fondling and grinding against the naked woman's body, their faces obscured by the dim lighting and poor film quality. Roxanne's eyes widened and jaw went slack from what she was witnessing on the screen.

"Dan! Why are you showing me this?!" She hissed, cheeks burning.

"Just keep watching," he instructed, his eyes never straying from her face. What exactly he was searching for Roxanne had no idea. She returned her attention back to the recording.

It was still too dark to make out their facial features, but she could tell that they had made it onto a bed. The woman laid down on her stomach with her face turned to the side. One man went behind her and the other man stood in front of her face. He looked into the camera and signaled for the couple to shift until they were facing it head on. When he moved out of the way the woman got on all fours and looked straight into the camera. There, having a threesome with two strange men, was Roxanne Ritchi.

"Oh, my god!" she gasped, flinging her hands over her mouth. "Oh, my god. Oh, my god. This isn't happening. Dan, Dan I have no idea what this is. It isn't me. I swear that isn't me. I would _**never**_ do something like that. You have to believe me!" Her eyes welled up with tears as she looked at the screen horrified at what it was showing. Her horror soon blossomed into a righteous fury. Glaring him straight in eye, she stood and places both hands flat on the desk in front of her.

"How did you come across this? Who sent it to you?!" Her eyes flared and Dan shifted nervously.

"I received an email twenty minutes ago stating that it had a big story and that I should see what my staff was up to. I thought that it was an Undercover Boss thing! If I would have know it was this, well, I don't think that I would have opened it. Roxanne, you should know that this wasn't just sent to me. It was sent to the entire KMCP News Station." A deep swell of sympathy welled up in his chest when he saw her face distort and choke back a sob.

"I know that this isn't you! The picture is grainy, the angles are all wrong. The entire station will know that this is a set up. I don't want you to worry about your reputation here, and I already called security and they are trying to get this removed from everyone's account." He took a deep breath and continued, "But I want to make something clear. You are to go on one week's paid leave until this situation is all sorted out. I think that it is best for everyone, especially you, Ms. Ritchi."

"Dan, how can you tell me just to go home when I didn't do anything? We both know that this is Hal's doing!" she shouted.

"We don't know anything for sure. As far as we know this is from an anonymous account. Until we have direct proof I'm afraid my hands are tied." He stood and patted her shoulder. "Please, take some time for yourself and this will be right as rain. Go give your statement to the Head of Security before you leave. I need to go smooth things over with the big wigs upstairs. And don't fret. You're our best reporter and we all know your character."

She shakily made her way back to her desk and fell into her chair. Deep in thought about how Hal could have managed to imprint her image on the recording and send it to everyone while he was in prison, she began collecting her purse, keys and personal laptop. There was absolutely no way she was going back to the Lair right now, not while she was so obviously distressed.

While she walked to her apartment she decided to send Megamind a quick text to let him know that she would not be coming over that evening. She needed to do some research in privacy. If her beau had flipped before, he would be impossibly _livid_ now, and there was no telling if she would be able to calm him before he did something drastic.

Roxanne slipped her hand into her purse fishing for her cell phone. Her pace slowed as she stared at her phone screen. _Twenty-five notifications? I hope that he's okay._ Of course Megamind was notorious for sending a million and one texts with random pictures and messages to her in his spare time. She thought it was adorable and over the top, him in a nut shell. Swiping her finger across the screen she realized that the messages were from different numbers. The first one had an image attachment. She opened it without hesitation, and what she saw almost made her drop her phone.

It was a picture of a man naked from the waist down and very clearly aroused. The message underneath read: _So u can't get enough d$ck? See u tonite at ur place. I know where u liv._

Roxanne stood stalk still in the middle of the sidewalk, her world coming to a grind halt.


	5. Chapter 5

Ch.5

/

Twenty-five text messages. Twenty-five lewd comments followed up by twenty-five pictures with varying degrees of obscenity. Roxanne slid her finger across her phone in horrified bemusement. The first text had stopped her right in her tracks, the other dozen or so just plain disgusted her, but the very last one sent her sprinting into a near by coffee shop.

Roxanne Ritchi was terrified, and increasingly paranoid that some shadow man would snatch her up. Frightened that some stranger would be hiding in her closet or behind a door just waiting for the perfect moment to subdue her, and not at all in her ex-villain of a boyfriend kind of way. She had never once felt so sickeningly afraid during all of the times Megamind kidnapped her as she did now. Curiously enough, she never was kidnapped or threatened by anyone else during that time either. That train of thought made her oddly appreciative of the good old days, and reminded her of how different things could have been had Megamind been truly evil.

As she scanned the nearly full cafe, she felt the relief of not being all alone, of not being out in the open and vulnerable. She sat down at a small table in the corner trying to figure out what to do first and whom to call. Of course she wanted call Megamind and feel his reassuring embrace. She craved the whirring of the brainbots and Minion's intimidating strength and fierce loyalty. There wasn't a single place in the entire world that made her feel more safe or more loved than with her favorite blue genius.

But anger soon replaced the initial shock of the situation. _God, Roxanne, grow a freaking backbone!_ She thought angrily. No one pushed her around. She wasn't one to be threatened and then sit back quietly, waiting to be rescued by the hero. _But_ , she admitted, _but I still can't do this on my own._

There was this nagging hunch that if she told Megamind he would become overly protective and order a small militia of brainbots to surround her at all times. Not exactly the best way to send a message to the perpetrator that she was a strong, independent woman. Once she had everything reported and under control she would tell him then. Now that she made one decision her plan of attack came easily. She scrolled through her contacts and hit call.

"Hey, Roxie!" Off key music blared in the background.

Roxanne winced. "Wayne, can you turn it down a bit? My ears are bleeding!" She had said that a bit louder than intended and ducked her head when she noticed several annoyed stares from the other patrons.

"Oh, yeah. Sure thing. Nothing pumps me up for a new song than listening to my old songs. What can I do you for?" Wayne Scott's trademark smile could barely be seen under his gruff beard, but it still translated over the phone.

"Look, I need help, and I don't want to tell Megamind right at this moment what's going on. So, can you come by my apartment in the two hours? I'll explain everything when you get there."

There was a long pause and Roxanne just knew he was standing in the middle of his shrine room, wrapped in a white robe, one hand in his hair, looking down at his feet while he contemplated what his move would be.

"Please, Wayne, as a friend." She didn't hide the worry from her voice.

"Okay, okay," he relented, wiping his palm down his face. "I'll be there in two hours."

As soon as the line went dead she made her next call.

"Hello?" an abrupt voice answered.

"Hello, Warden?" Roxanne sat up a little straighter in her chair. The Warden had that kind of effect on people, even his future daughter-in-law. "It's Roxanne. I have an urgent matter to discuss with you. Can I stop by your office in the next thirty minutes? I'm downtown and I'm getting a cab right now."

She was out the door and into a cab before he even answered, 'yes.'

* * *

"Nice work on the fruit tart, Minion!" Megamind playfully batted his companion's fury mechanical arm. "This evening will be ex-cell-ahnt," his head bobbled to each side in time with his slow over-pronunciation.

"Yes, it will be excellent, Sir." Minion smiled at master and friend, placing the tart onto an elegantly arranged table. With the help of the brainbots, Minion had transformed their eclectic dinning area into a flowering oasis.

"Has the wine been chilled? The music queued and ready to play at a moments notice? Everything must be perfect for my lady love."

"Check and check. The hors d'oeuvres are ready and the main course will be served exactly thirteen minutes after the salad. Don't worry about a thing, Boss! Operation: Romance the Socks Off of Roxanne Ritchi, Part Deux is ready to go and awaiting your orders, Sir." Minion adjusted two out of place roses in the large centerpiece on the table. Nodding at his handy work he stole a quick glance around the room, making sure everything was just so.

Megamind, stood in the middle of the room as groups of brainbots flitted here and there with the last of finishing touches. He was practically giggling with excitement, his two fists bouncing off of each other in anticipation. This evening had been in the works for weeks and now it was time for his brilliant plan to come into fruition. A twinkling sound and a vibration alerted him of an incoming message on his cell phone.

"It's Roxanne!" His smile grew impossibly wide. "She's probably on her way over and letting me know, as I predicted she would." He opened the message. His shoulders drooped as his smile faded away.

"What is it, Sir?" Minion rushed over worriedly.

"She can't make it. She-she has important research to do. Another time, she says." Megamind dropped the phone and threw himself into the nearest chair, completely dejected. "The worst part is that she isn't even coming over later! She's spending the night at her place."

 _Oh, no. He's about to go into full pout mode!_ Minion picked up the phone, and walked up to the slouched figure. He placed the object tentatively on the table in front of his boss. "Sir, you know how much Miss Ritchi loves being with you, and how she complains that you don't get enough quality time. I'm sure that if she can't make it tonight it's for a really good reason."

"I know, I know," Megamind pouted, sticking out his lower lip. Suddenly, he was struck by a new and equally brilliant idea. His eyes darted back and forth manically while he reassessed and planned. Raising his arms, he jumped up from the chair shouting, "I've got it!"

 _Well that was quick recovery. I was expecting a longer pep talk,_ Minion thought dryly to himself, but smiled nonetheless.

"Minion, Code: Pack up the food. I'm taking it to Roxanne's apartment!"

"I don't know, Boss," Minion stated hesitantly. "Code: Maybe she doesn't want to be disturbed?"

"Yes," he acquiesced, "let's give her a couple of hours for her work. Code: Just pack up the appetizers and the tart. And the wine," he added as an after thought. "I'll be in the lab working on that new Weapon of Justice to add to the arsenal."

Minion watched his friend leave. He gave out a few orders to the brainbots for clean up duty and headed towards the kitchen, pausing at the little table on the way there to grab the tart. He admired the floral arrangement for just a moment before he came up with his own brilliant idea. _No sense letting these go to waste_ , he reasoned. He grasped onto the vase and with a little spring in his robotic step he meandered out of the room. They too would get tucked into The Picnic Basket of Longing.

"Alright, Miss Ritchi, why the mad rush to meet with me?" The Warden sat behind his desk, waiting to her answer. In truth, he was already planning a meeting with the city's hero over a very serious and potentially dangerous matter when she called. Had she been tipped off before he could schedule the meeting?

"Sir, this is a little awkward for me," she shift uncomfortably, "but at work today a pornographic film was emailed to every employee. It had images of me having sex, but I have never made such a recording before. The security team called me while I was on my way to see you and relayed that they found proof that my image had been superimposed on the woman's body in the film.

"I'm also receiving threatening text messages." She passed her phone over to him. "The first and the last ones are the most vital for you to see."

His scowl deepened. "Someone has passed along your personal information. From the content I would say someone posted some sort of sex ad on Dave's List or a website of that sort."

"And I have a sneaking suspicion that the 'someone' is residing here at this prison." she looked at him meaningfully, but his focus was solely on the images on the screen.

"Miss Ritchi, this last one looks like," he paused, "it looks the drug lord Psycho Delic? But, the face is hard to make out. I can't be certain." An off colored corpse of a man looked into the camera with red, glowing eyes, a large fedora pulled down over half of his face. The message below read: _I'm coming to take you to your daddy, but you look so sweet I might have to take a bite first. Get ready, baby_.

"Does Megamind know about this?" He stood up and walked to the window.

"No, I wanted to talk to you first. This hero thing is still new to him and he has a tendency to overreact," she shrugged.

"If this _is_ Psycho Delic then you need to tell him. The man is dangerous and-" he was cut off by Roxanne's hand slamming on his desk.

"Sir," she started, but his expression softened her voice,"I know. I covered Doom Syndicate's exploits for years. I know what he's capable of, but the bigger question is why this and why now? Who's this 'daddy' that he is referring too? I'm positive that Hal's behind this. You saw the interview a couple of weeks ago. This is just the sort of underhanded thing he would do. I just don't know how he managed it since he's been in solitary this entire time and he isn't that bright." She looked down pensively. Why Psycho Delic of all people?

"No, he has an hour everyday to mingle with other prisoners," he explained. Roxanne's head jerked up in surprise, eyes wide. "Not my idea, but his therapist brought in a court order stating that he needed to socialize so he would stop injuring himself."

"Injuring himself? But how-" it was her turn to be cut off.

"Roxanne, there's something that I think you should see." He reached in his desk drawer and retrieved a large green file labeled Prisoner #156A92, Hal Stewart. "I was going to call Megamind in today to show him some of the recordings, but you're here and this involves you." The warden walked briskly to the door and opened it, waiting impatiently for Roxanne to follow. She clamored to her feet and followed him out of the office. Before they left the administration wing of the prison he instructed an officer to start a report and to make copies of text messages on her phone.

As they headed deeper into the most secure area of the prison, Roxanne's heart beat faster. They were headed towards Megamind's old cell, the one that now housed Hal! She hadn't seen him since the trial and it made an anxious knot in the pit of her stomach. Her face must have betrayed some of her nervousness, because she heard the Warden mention reassuringly that Hal was with the other prisoners in the common room, and wouldn't be back for another forty-nine minutes.

They approached the various screens that monitored the cell's interior and it's lone occupant. The Warden sat down the file and pointed to one screen in particular.

"Officer, pull up the video file from this morning." The guard pressed several buttons until Hal appeared on the screen. He was facing this wall, pounding his head against the concrete.

Roxanne squinted at the video feed. While it was disturbing to watch the slovenly young man purposely hurt himself, she was still unsure why the Warden had brought her all the way there to see that. She was about to ask that very question when her eye caught a slight movement. Before she could make what exactly she was watching, the stomping of several pairs of shoes resounded off of the walls.

"Damn it!" the Warden cursed. "What the hell is he doing back already?"

The guard monitoring the controls answered timidly. "Sir, he forfeited his hour for a phone call. I'm sorry, I though you knew." The Warden grumbled under his breath something about incompetent fools and stepped towards Roxanne. He pressed her to his back trying to block the incoming inmate's view. Unfortunately, Hal just happened to look over just as Roxanne peeped around her human shield.

"Roxanne?" His eyes nearly bulged from his head. It would have been comical if he wasn't such a damn weirdo. "Oh, my god! Roxanne! I knew it! I knew you would come to see me. Did you like the video I sent you at work?" He frantically lunged at her and the five guards surrounding him grappled with his chains.

"I knew when you saw it you would want to interview me. Did you like it? Just imagine instead of those two guys it was me and my henchman. You like bad boys, Roxie. I'm bad now." He leered sickeningly at her and her blood chilled.

She couldn't take her eyes off of him, not even when four more guards showed up and tased him several times. Not when they forced him into his cell and not when the Warden grabbed her arm practically dragging her down the hallway. Hal was still screaming her name as locked they the cell door.

The Warden brought her back to the administration wing and collected her cell phone. Handing both the phone and the file to her, he studied her pale face. He placed a firm hand on her shoulder. Roxanne Ritchi was a strong woman, but at that moment she looked so shaken. Tenderness and encouraging words were never his strong suit, but there was a soft spot in his heart for the reporter.

"I'm giving you a copy of the file and a copy of the video feed that you didn't to finish. My best officer will be on the case for your harassment report. He has already found the fake ad on a website and it had been taken down. And we have a confession from the perpetrator so I will make sure that your lawyer knows and gets a copy as well. I would send an officer to your apartment, but I'm sure a certain super hero will want that job. Call me day or night if anything else pops up."

"Thank you," she said quietly as placed the file into her tote bag. It was a lot to process after everything that had just happened. She would review the material later once she had a clear head.

He walked her outside to the waiting cabbie. After he shut the door he poked his head through the window, one last thing on his mind.

"Roxanne," he never used her first name, "you need to tell him. And if you don't then I will."

She neither confirmed nor denied that she would as the cab rolled down the back road towards the center of the Metro City.


	6. Chapter 6

Ch.6

Author's note:

Wayne Scott stood outside of the hip apartment-lofts in Metro City's Art District. It was a novelty, really, waiting in front of the lobby like a normal person. He thought that he really fit in too with the whole art/hipster scene now that he was musician. With his worn jean, plaid shirt, dark rimmed glasses and full grown beard he was definitely one of the cool kids. Hands in his pockets, rocked back forth on his heels, wondering what Roxanne wanted to talk about. He had been in the middle of a lyrical break through when she called.

"Hey, mister," a twenty-something-year-old guy approached and handed him a five dollar bill. "Hope it helps." As he walked off, Wayne studied the bill, trying to figure out what was happening.

"Wha-what?! No,no, no I'm not homeless," Wayne protested, trying to hand the money back.

"Oh, it's okay, dude." The young man placated. "Some people struggle more than others so we gotta give."

 _That's kind of a good lyric. I should write that down_. He reached into his pocket for his mini-gold pen and pocket notebook, scribbling down the phrase. _Do I really look homeless?_ He faced his reflection in the window, turning his head to the side. He didn't have long to contemplate before a familiar voice called out to him.

"Hey! I'm so glad that you're here. Let's get upstairs." Roxanne rushed to give him a quick hug and then threw open the glass door of the lobby.

 _Something's up_ , he mused as he took in her flustered appearance and followed after her.

Once they made it in front of her apartment door her hand held out the key to unlock the latch, but she hesitated.

"Wayne," she said in a hushed whisper. He turned his head to face her letting her know that he was paying attention, but he didn't stoop closer to her voice. He could hear every word just fine. "I need you to check my place for intruders."

His eyes narrowed and his jaw set as he looked at the door. Roxanne worried her bottom lip as he completed his x-ray investigation of her apartment.

"It looks all clear, Roxie." She allowed him to enter before her as she unlocked the door. Taking another look from within the apartment revealed the same thing. No one had entered or had left the apartment except for Roxanne. Slugging her tote onto the kitchen counter and kicking off her shoes Roxanne made her way to her red sofa and threw her body upon it. Wayne trailed after her. He picked up her feet and set them into his lap as he sat down at the other end.

"Wanna tell me what this is all about?"

"After the day I just had where do I start?" she grumbled. Sitting up she began to recount the day's events, starting with work. She showed him the text messages (still on her phone for evidence), summarized the conversation with the warden and replayed the scene with Hal.

"Warden Jones gave me a copy of the file and the recording, but I haven't even looked at it yet. Let's just say I had a lengthy conversation with one of my co-workers who had seen the video on the drive over here." She got up to pour herself and her guest a drink. Reaching into the fridge and lifting out two containers she asked, "Do you want aloe juice or Vietnamese ice-coffee?"

Wayne pointed to the aloe. "So, you're saying that Tighten contacted Psycho Delic just to torment you?" He reached for the offered glass and took a sip. "Why would he agree to help him? It doesn't make sense. What could the leader of the Doom Syndicate gain from a powerless guy in prison?"

"I don't know." Roxanne's brow furrowed in thought. "I don't know. Maybe he thinks that attacking me will throw Megamind off his game? The Syndicate has taken a large hit since he has taken it upon himself to be the city's new hero."

"Well, if I had been a villain before becoming a hero, maybe I could have anticipated the move of every criminal before they actually committed a crime," he groused. Truly, he was happy for his little buddy, but Megamind blew Metro Man out of the water when it came to crime level statistics. With the brainbots on constant patrol, plus the ex-villain's personal knowledge of the city's underground workings, crime and drug sales were at an all time low. It would be a lie if Wayne said that it didn't sting his pride just a wee bit.

"You know what else is strange," Roxanne tried to bring the subject back to safer territory, " it took nine guards to subdue Hal and take him back into the cell."

"Well, with the adrenaline of seeing you, and plus being crazy, maybe he was a little more feisty than usual?" Wayne guessed. He had no actual idea how many men it took to subdue someone. All he knew, with the exception of his once-upon-a-time nemesis, it took everything in him not to unintentionally hurt a man while subduing him. _Megamind may look like a weak piece of string_ , he thought to himself, _but he's built to last_. Metro Man didn't always pull his punches when the two were growing up or when they were adults playing superheros and villains. There was definitely was an unearthly strength underneath that wiry frame.

"Maybe," she conceded, "but it did seem excessive." She let out a sigh and sipped her drink.

"Roxanne?"

"Hmm?" she turned to the burly man sitting at her dining room table. He seemed bothered.

"You told me that you didn't want to tell him anything yet. Why haven't you? You know it's going to hurt him like hell when he finds out." Wayne looked down into his cup, concern written all over his face. "If I had someone I loved, it would make me so angry if they kept something like this from me. And if something happened and I couldn't protect that person..." he paused taking a deep breath, "I would never be able to forgive myself. Or them." He surprised himself, and Roxanne, with what could be considered both a tirade and confession.

 _Now, that could be a good song_ , Roxanne pondered as she made her way over to the table to join her hulking friend.

"Megamind has a lot on his plate and I don't want him to worry. Plus, he will only overreact and..." seeing his 'cut the crap' stare Roxanne wobbled her head a little in defeat.

"Okay, fine!" she snapped. "I'm worried. I'm worried that if I don't do this without his help that I will forever be the damsel in distress. I don't want to play the game with someone new, the constant kidnappings, the headache. I'm afraid that people like Hal and Psycho Delic will see me as weak and to be taken advantage of." She was on a roll now, all of her worries and fears spewing out from the place she buried them. "I'm afraid that I see myself as weak. Most of all I'm terrified that Megamind will lose it and Hal will win." That last admission took all of the fire out of her. She sat there stunned by what she had just said aloud.

Wayne reached over to hold her hand. He wanted to make sure that he understood exactly what she was telling him. Clearing his throat, he very gently asked, "Roxie, are you afraid that Megamind, your fiance, won't be able to control himself and take his revenge in the worst way?"

Her eyes filled with unshed tears, "I don't know what I'm more afraid of: his getting revenge or my wanting him to." She sniffed trying to keep the tears at bay. _God, I'm a horrible person_ , she thought.

A small smile formed under his shaggy beard. _Bless her sweet heart_. "Roxie," he chuckled, "you're not a bad person. Yeah, yeah I know you," he said when she stared at him incredulously, "and you have a heart of gold. It's okay to want someone to stop hurting you and it's okay to let him know that you're a force to be reckoned with. And Megamind is changed a man. Have faith in him."

"Ugh! Don't be my voice of reason," she smirked, wiping the mist from her eyes. It struck her that his advice had been basically been what Megamind had done himself. _I wonder if he realizes what he just said?_

He laughed lightly and stood up. "I'm going to head out. I almost have a song finished, but I need to work out the bridge. There's a chord that's off. But, hey, I'll play it for you at our monthly Monopoly night!"

"Gee, I can't wait," came her sarcastic reply as she wrapped her arms around him for a hug. "Thanks, again."

"No problem, fair citizen!" A he gave her a cheeky wink as he stepped out onto the balcony. "Oh, and please don't forget to tell him." His titled his head and gave her a soft expression before he blasted into the sky.

Roxanne walked back into her kitchen. _Time to get to work,_ she decided as she pulled out her laptop, cell phone and green file from her tote. Before she could bring the items to her kitchen table she saw a movement from the corner of her eye. She sat file down on the counter underneath the laptop. Reaching into one of the kitchen drawers she pulled out a knife. Careful to keep the blade close to her side, she headed quietly towards the balcony.

"Wayne," she called out, "is that you?"

A light breeze picked up the sheer curtains framing the balcony doors. _Didn't I shut those?_ She couldn't recall even though Wayne hadn't left more than several minutes before.

There was a slight rustling sound behind her. Roxanne spun around, knife jutting from her outstretched hand. Her eyes search frantically around the room, not seeing anyone or anything out of place.

"Who's there!" she shouted, her voice coming out much more confident than she felt. She took a few more steps towards her red sofa, pausing between each foot fall to listen for a sound other than her own breathing. There! A scratching noise and a bang of something being dropped sounded from behind her bedroom door!

Roxanne rushed to her room and launched through the partially opened door, raising her knife over her head. With her wide eyes and ready-to-strike-a-death-blow pose any intruder would feel incredibly threatened and would probably take off at the sight of her, or so she hoped. But there wasn't a sex fiend waiting in her room; it was her neighbor's white cat, Salizar, that sometimes would come visit and she would feed treats to.

"Damn you, Salizar!" Roxanne practically screamed at the unaffected feline laying on her bed. "Whew!You almost gave me a heart attack." She sat the knife down the bed, and looked down when her shoe lightly kicked her alarm clock. The kitty must have been scratching at the headboard and then paw-pawed her alarm clock off of her night stand as he was fond of doing. _Asshole cat._

She laid down next to him, giving a good scratch behind the ears. Gradually her heart left her throat and settled back down nicely into her chest.

"I've had enough excitement for one day," she quipped under her breath. "Come on, Mr. Salizar. Let's get you a treaty-treat and take you home." She scooped up the fluffy, and slightly diabolical, animal into her arms. "Better bring this with me too," she murmured as she picked up the knife. After a moments consideration she placed the weapon under the bed. _Just in case_ , she thought, and left her room.

Facing the door as she closed it, she was caught completely unawares by the body pressing against her back. Her breath hitched and her body froze. Salizar gave an angry hiss and leaped from her arms, racing to the open balcony. A distorted voice spoke softly into her ear.

"Ms. Ritchi," she heard the warped, demonic voice say, "we meet again."

Two strong, gloved hands wrapped around her biceps and the body pressed her up against the door. Without warning, she was whipped around to face the cur that held her.

"Aaaahhhhhh!" Roxanne's eyes closed as she let out an ear-piercing scream and struggled with all her might, flailing her arms and kicking out her legs.

"Gahhh!" The hands that held her dropped away as though they had been burned. Roxanne opened her eyes, preparing to dash out the front door, but the shock of seeing man in front of her made her knees buckle, and she slid to the floor, one hand covering her heart.

"Roxanne," the distorted voice was no more, "I can't... I mean, I didn't mean to...well, I _did_ mean too, but I can't believe I scared you that badly! Are you alright?" Megamind knelt down in front of her, placing a leather gloved hand over her cheek. His green eyes, wide with worry, searched her face for the scathing anger he was sure to face.

"Why do I always take things too far?" he berated himself. "I just wanted to surprise you and test out my new Camo-Voice device. There's a hero a city over that uses a voice distorter to keep his identify safe, and I thought that maybe it would come in handy when I question some of the criminals, but that's not important right now," he stopped himself from getting sidetracked. "I'm so sorry that I startled you."

Roxanne placed her palm on the hand resting against her cheek. "I cannot tell you how relieved I am that it's you and not some lunatic running around my apartment."

"Have you been worried that some loon-a-tic has been in your apartment?" he asked as he lifted Roxanne to her feet, looking from one side to the other. He had never been able to give her such a fright before, not even with his best plans. If she was truly worried about her safety, he would have to see to it to assuage those fears. "Dearest, I put a monitor on all the windows and doors. An alarm will sound if anyone tampers with the locks, and your place will be surrounded by a hundred brainbots within minutes... anyone other than myself or Minion," he amended.

"When did you do that?" she asked. _So, I've been worried about nothing this entire time?_

"Well," he stammered, "um, right around the time I decided you were the only woman worthy of being kidnapped by the Master of All Villainy." He had the grace to look abashed before he continued. "I know that you hate it when the brainbots follow you home from work, on errands, on the weekends, on interviews," he listed, " _aaand_ , you made your opinion very clear when I wanted to set up surveillance equipment around your room, but it was necessary to take certain measures to keep you safe from predators. After all, one man's treasure is his enemies' choice prize."

His fingers grazed over her knuckles before he raised the pale, dainty hand to his lips. Locking her into a heart felt gaze he said in a low reverent tone, " You are my greatest treasure."

"I love you," came her immediate reply and then her lips crashed into his. Their kiss was long and sweet. He finally pulled away, holding her in his arms, foreheads pressed gently against each others'.

"I don't know what I would do if anyone harmed you," he said with a sigh.

 _Why did he have to say that?!_ Roxanne groaned internally. "Um, about that," she started, but he wasn't paying attention to her. In matter of seconds he had released her and ran to the dining area.

Bouncing on his heels Megamind proffered an exquisite bouquet of flowers from the large picnic basket resting on her table, and began pulling out a bottle of wine along with several containers of food.

"I figured if you were done with your research then maybe we could have a drink and some snacks?" he held up the bottle of wine and tart hopefully.

"Fruit tart, my favorite!" her smile lit up the room. "Let me get two glasses and plates."

"And I'll get some water for these," he held up the flowers.

"I don't see any organic whipped cream for the tart," Roxanne mumbled as she poked around the basket. "I'm going to run to the corner store and pick some up. Can't have tart with out it!" _I'll explain everything over dessert. That should make it easier to stomach_. She rolled her eyes at her own pun.

"Uh, great. Minion must have forgot to pack it," came the muffled response. Megamind's body was half way inside a cabinet looking for a vase. Roxanne grabbed the spare change by the front door, giggling at the sight he made on her way out.

Having finally finding the right size vase, he filled it with water and inserted the overflowing arrangement. _Where to put it, where to put it?_ He scanned the room for the perfect spot. _Oh, on the table, duh. Or maybe in her bed room?_ He stood holding the vase in the middle of the kitchen when her cell phone rang, startling him. A little water spilled onto the counter and onto her laptop.

"Shoot," he hissed. He sat down the flowers and quickly picked up the phone. Unknown Number it read. _Hmm, could be important. I should answer it and take a message._

"Ollo," he said as he searched for a towel to clean up the spilled water.

There was no answer. He held the phone up to his face, making sure that he had indeed answered the phone and that the call was still connected. Seeing that it was, he repeated himself again. "Ollo? Can you hear me?" _Look, a towel!_ He started drying the computer and noticed that the water had spilled onto a file underneath. He pulled out the folder to dry it, but his growing frustration with the one sided phone call distracted him from reading the label.

He was ready to end the call, but his acute hearing picked up the faintest of sounds. A breath? The sound became clearer and louder. It definitely was breathing, mixed with faint grunts and moans.

"What kind of trickery is this?" he asked. When he realized what exactly he was hearing he gagged. "Who is this?!" he demanded.

The phone line went dead. The screen went to her missed notifications, and without meaning to he accidentally opened her text messages.

She had several texts from unknown numbers. He opened the first one. _What the hell is this?!_ His face twisted in disgust at the image on the screen and then fury when he read the message. His fingers swiped faster and faster with his growing agitation until he came upon the last text from an unknown sender.

 _Psycho Delic?_ It felt like a sucker punch to the gut. He read the message over and over again. His lips curled into a snarl. _How dare he!_ But the sad realization that followed his metal outburst delivered the knockout blow. _She didn't tell me_. He checked the time on each obscene message. _All day she's been dealing with this and she didn't tell me._

He bent over the counter, hands spread wide, as his mind raced with all the possible reasons why Psycho Delic would threaten Roxanne outright. He wasn't strong or fool enough to challenge Megamind, there had to be something up he sleeve, but what?

Megamind looked down between his hands when his eyes rested on the green file. Prisoner #156A92, Hal Stewart. _Why does she have his prison record?_ he wondered as he opened the folder. A small disk slipped out. He opened her laptop, inserted the disk and pressed play. While the recording loaded, he skimmed over the patient chart and behavioral reports. _Prisoner suffers from erotomania. Prisoner increasingly aggressive. Prisoner's obsession shows no decrease since beginning of incarceration._

His hand covered his stroked his chin absentmindedly. _Was this the research she was talking about? Her having this file means that she's gone to the warden._ The computer beeped drawing him from his speculations. He hit play.

He watched as Hal beat his face repeatedly into the reinforced concrete wall. _How amusing_ , a wicked part of himself snickered gleefully.

A strange flicker of movement caused him to pause the recording. _Is he hovering? I can't be sure_. He hit play again and within seconds he had his answer.

Hal was hovering several inches off the floor. After a beat, he stopped his self- inflicted face plants and levitated up to the camera in the corner of the ceiling. He stared dead-eyed into the lens for just a moment and then floated to the chair in the center of the room as though in a trance. There was a small head-shaped crater in the wall and no markings whatsoever on Hal's face.

"Impossible," Megamind gaped at the screen, replaying the recording in its entirety three more times.

"This is impossible. I gave him power and I took it away. I took it all away. I thought-" he stopped speaking as flipped through the pages of Hal's report, trying to pin point when his powers started coming back to him. He didn't get far before an incoming communication link from Minion broke his concentration.

Bringing the watch and disguise generator to his face, he clicked on the small button on the side. "What is it, Minion? I'm in the middle of something important."

"Sorry to disturb you, Sir, but the warden called. He says it's an extreme emergency and that he needs you to get to the prison immediately."

"I think I know what it's about." He put the disk back into the folder and dehydrated it. The little blue cube was tucked away into his belt as he hurried to the balcony and onto his hover bike, but before he took flight, he left Minion with one direct order. "Minion, get here as fast as you can and pick up Ms. Ritchi. Make sure she packs a few of her things, and bring her to the Lair. Do not stop for any reason. She is not staying here alone any longer."

"Be there in a flash, boss," Minion promised as he busted a u-turn in the middle of a busy downtown intersection.

The comm link went out and the bike's engine roared to life. He didn't bother putting it into stealth mode as he shot out into the night. Every criminal in Metro City recognized that sound, and he wanted them to know that he was out and ready for business. Especially Psycho Delic.


	7. Chapter 7

Ch. 7

Megamind felt the heavy vibration from the wailing prison sirens deep within his center well before he actually _heard_ the blaring alarm. Spot lights illuminated the areas within and around the prison at random intervals, searching. The distant revolving lights reflected off of electric green eyes and gritted white teeth as he twisted the throttle of the hover bike to full speed, his suspicions growing with every passing mile.

As he neared the penitentiary floating embers singed his face and cape. His lungs constricted with each inhale of the thick, burning air. A billowing cloud of black smoke over the east wing of the prison- where the most dangerous inmates were confined and where he himself had once been kept- confirmed his most dreaded assumption: Hal had escaped.

The hover bike had not even completely landed before he clicked the concealment button and jumped to the ground, running full sprint into the chaotic scene in front of him. Groups of guards and their patrol dogs scouted the premises. Officers shouted out orders, guns at the ready, to the prisoners lined outside on their knees after being evacuated from their cells. Meanwhile, those very cells were being surveyed for any clues that indicated help or foreknowledge of the night's event.

Megamind ran past the bedlam in the main building and through the double doors leading to the east wing. After passing several security doors he finally made it to his old cell, only now it was missing a wall. In fact, when he stood inside of the cell, he could see that the row of walls that led to the outside of the prison had all been destroyed. The only remainders were flashing broken lights and sparking wires. Brainbots could be seen scurrying here and there to put out the various fires from the aftermath of the escape.

"Megamind," William Jones called out, "you've made."

"Warden," he acknowledge while he knelt to inspect the rubble scattered about the room. An odd dark film covered some of the debris. _Now where have I seen this before?_ The warden didn't give him much time to ponder.

"We have reason to believe that he had help from the outside. Come with me and we'll take a look at the perimeter recordings." He started to walk out of the demolished cell before pausing briefly. His index finger tapped at the air in some silent Morse Code when he added, "Oh, and there's something else you need to see."

"You mean the footage of Hal levitating this morning," Megemind deadpanned.

"So, Roxanne told you? Good. Less time talking and more time doing," the warden harrumphed as he marched passed the hero and into hall.

"No," he corrected while they made their way to a functioning screen, "she didn't tell me anything. I found the file you gave her...behind my back."

Warden Jones' eyes widen fractionally before a scowl replaced his shocked expression. "Is there something you need to get off your chest, young man?" He knew how much he had hated it when he used that tone with him, but by god, Megamind needed some sense knocked into him from the only father like figure he had ever known.

"Yes," he responded testily, "I do." He lifted a finger and pointed it straight at the graying man that helped raise him. "Never do that again. Never keep me in the dark where her safety is concerned."

"I won't," he agreed solemnly. "But you have to trust her too." _And you have to believe me that I worry about her the same way I worry about you._ Though he would never admit it, the warden had always regretted not telling his charge how much he cared for him, especially when he was a little boy. But, too much time had passed. The little blue boy became a man, and habit replaced affection.

The two men stared at each other for a moment longer with too many things to be said between them and not enough words to make it right.

Megamind was the first to break the awkward silence."Well, we should- uh- get back to this Tighten mess."

"Uh, right. Right." Warden Jones pulled the edges of his suit jacket down, smoothing the wrinkles from his clothing and deepening the hard lines on his age worn face. "You've seen the cell recording from earlier. Have you read the psychological report?"

"Hmm?" Megamind hummed distractedly while the warden rattled away, too busy simultaneously retrieving the video recording of the perimeter and Hal's cell five minutes before the explosion. The red headed buffoon hovered back and forth in the small space. At three minutes and twenty seconds Hal pressed his head against the reinforced walls and nodded, though, there wasn't any activity to be seen from the neighboring cells nor from the outside. At four minutes and forty-five seconds he steps back and raises his fist. Four minutes and fifty-three seconds he punches with all his might and almost one full half second later (Megamind counts and reassesses it to be one third of a second later) bright white light engulfs the room and the video feed cuts out.

Long, gloved fingers wrapped around his pointed chin. Had Hal truly regained all his strength? But how did he go from barely hovering to full blown Metro Mahn power in a few hours time? There hadn't been a flicker of movement from outside the prison walls. No missiles fired, no lasers, no bombs. Nothing had been left behind except for that dark filmy residue. _The residue!_

"-his therapist insisted! But what the hell can I do when those damn liberal hippies meet with Judge Mason? That idiot judge doesn't know his head from his-"

"The residue!" Megamind flung his hands onto Warden Jones' shoulders effectively silencing the older man. "Tell me why you believe he had help from the outside?"

"Jesus H. Christ! That's what I've been telling you all along. He's been meeting with Unlucky Joe which means-"

"Psycho Delic." It wasn't a question. Unlucky Joe had been locked away countless times for smuggling and dealing different narcotics for Psycho's drug ring. The man was a rat that everyone hated, but he was good at getting information passed along on the inside and on the outside. That trick alone helped him become a valuable asset to the underground criminal community, and was therefore tolerated. If Hal had been meeting with Unlucky Joe then it wasn't too much of a stretch to assume that Psycho could have formulated a drug specifically to enhance Hal's diminished powers. For a short time that is.

Every addict and dealer in Metro City knew that Psycho Delic's drugs were potent, fast acting, and brutal. For the right price, the skeleton man would even concoct a specialized formula for his customers. The fierce intoxicant would ravage the user's body bringing a euphoria that never lasted long enough. The greater the high, the swifter the need for the next hit at an increased dose. And while Psycho Delic could care less if his patrons went brain dead after the first try, it was bad for business. Instead he would keep them on a steady line until they complained too much, and then he'd hit them with a mix so hard they couldn't see straight for a month.

"I think Psycho Delic passed him an enhanced version of Xtrill."

"Xtrill," the warden repeats. "The drug that all those athletes at the university were caught using?"

Spinning on his heel Megamind ignored his question until the two men were back in the remains of the charred room. He removed one glove and swiped his bare finger across the floor where a concentrated mass of the dark residue lay. Two fingers rubbed together in concentration when he finally decided to answer.

"It wasn't just athletes. Business men were slipping it to their employees to increase labor production among other things, but when I heard a rumor that sex offenders were taking it so that they could go on all night rampages I started doing my own investigation. It lead me to one of Psycho Delic's kitchens. Long, glorious story short, the lad blew up and this dark film was left. When I tested it at the Lair it looked like it was comprised of different steroids, adrenaline, and aphrodisiacs."

"Aphrodisiacs?"

"They increase energy and focus, Warden." He knew very intimately how an aphrodisiac could increase concentration tenfold. The scent of Roxanne wafting to his sensitive nose during his frequent kidnappings stimulating the arousal and the restraint. All of it fed into his work, driving him to two single minded goals: defeat Metro Mahn and don't kiss Miss Ritchi. Unless she wants too. Then kiss her. God, her lips looked like they wanted to be kissed. So kissable.

So maybe he was always a little more focused on Roxanne's lips than defeating Metro Man.

A guard stormed into the cell followed by a severe looking woman. "Sir, Dr. Thompson needs to speak with you."

The woman eyed Megamind clinically before addressing Warden Jones. " I got here as soon as I could."

"Dr. Thompson," the warden said with disdain. Just seeing her brought a bad taste to his mouth. "What do you want?"

"I-," she stammered. She gave a hesitant look to Metro City's hero who stared back at her with uncertainty. Professional duty aside, she still felt a pang of guilt and worry. No matter how Hal escaped there was only one real thing he was after. "I came to warn you. I think- no. No. I _know_ that he will target Roxanne Ritchi and that she needs to be put into protective custody immediately."

"Roxanne!" Megamind gasped. _Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!_ He should have checked in with Minion by now. He should have made sure she was safe. He pressed the comm link on his holowatch. "Minion?! Did you take Roxanne to the Lair yet?" 

"Well, Sir, there's a bit of a problem," Minion answered over the ranting and raving in the background.

"What?! What's happening? Are you under attack?"

"No,no, no! No, Sir," he reassured. "Um, Miss Ritchi...well, she doesn't want to leave just yet. Or maybe at all? Something about not running and cowering in fear."

Whether it came from distress or guilt was unclear, but a rising fury built up within his lithe chest. He loved that woman more than his body could contain, but that stubborn streak (though it could be adorable at times) was going to be the death of him.

"Minion," he gritted out, "use the Knock-Out-Spray. Use the Forget-Me-Stick if you must, but get her to the Lair NOW!"

He could hear Minion's assent, a squawk, and a distinctly infuriated female voice shouting. A garbled noise came over the comm. "So, we're back to kidnapping now?!"

Megamind ran a hand down his face and put his back to the two other occupants in the room with him. "Yes! If you won't listen to reason and be safe then, yes!"

"I am safe! Minion is here. Send some brainbots if it makes you feel better, but I'm not running!"

"I saw the text messages!" he shouted. "I saw the recording and now Tighten is out there! I-I'm done talking about this. If you want to hate me later that's fine. But your safety means more to me than your understanding and your consent. Minion! I gave you an order!"

"Minion don't you dare!" screamed Roxanne.

The three waited in hushed silence as the line went quiet. A moment later Minion opened the link. "She's unconscious, Sir. I've packed a small bag and will take her to the Lair immediately."

Megamind grimaced. She might never look at him the same way again, but at least she would be protected. "Well done, Minion. Don't stop for any reason."

"Sir, what's going on?"

"There's no time to explain. Just watch out for Psycho Delic." His jaw clenched. "And watch out for Tighten."

"Tighten?! Wha-what?!" 

"GO, MINION!"

"Yes-yes, Sir."

When he turned around both the Warden and Dr. Thompson faced him. While Warden Jones nodded his head in agreement and support for Megamind, the psychologist looked torn. Rolling her shoulders back and seeming to make a decision she stepped towards the hero.

"This is off the record, but I need to tell you this," she started. Megamind jerked his head for her to continue. " Hal Stewart, or Tighten as he likes to be called, has a very specific type of condition. You see, people stalk for different reasons and usually people are stalked by someone that they know intimately like an ex-lover or friend. For celebrity figures like Miss Ritchi it's also very common for strangers to want to emulate them, to try to become them. But Mr. Stewart is different."

"It's quit complex, but he has created a story in his mind that Miss Ritchi is not only in a real relationship with him, but also in love with him."

"No way! Get out of town." Megamind chuckled, "Roxanne never had anything more than a professional, plut-oo-nic, working relationship with the imbecile."

"Be that as it may," the doctor continued, "he doesn't know that. In his mind he has created a fantasy and your Roxanne is the star. He believes that she loves him and is sexually interested in him. Her every word, her every move confirms this for him. It's a trap that she cannot escape from! If she says 'no', it means 'yes'. If she happens to glance over at him then it means she is flirting. When she brushes her hair from her face, it means she's thinking about him. Don't you see? No matter what she does or doesn't do, she cannot dissuade him."

"There's more," she went on. "I believe that he feels that he needs to rescue her from you."

Megamind's jaw dropped. "Rescue? From me? Rescue?"

"Yes, he believes that he can save her from your brainwashing." Her mouth twisted into a wry smile at that before it turned into a scowl. "Mr. Mind, he is what we consider an Incompetent Stalker and a Predatory Stalker. He is fixated for sure, but there's a sense of entitlement sexually speaking. I also believe that he will try to punish her for being with you. He considers it as though she is having an affair on him with you. He has told me many times that she is his soul-mate. I am afraid that the punishment he has in mind is to assault her."

"No!" his eyes blazed. "That will never happen. I am going to stop him before he ever finds her."

"And how do you plan to do that," the Warden asked.

"I'm going to go to the source of his power," his expression darkening, "I'm going to take Psycho Delic down and out of the equation. Without the drugs, Tighten will fall and Hal Shtewart will be back in custody." _Or annihilated_ , he thought.


End file.
